The Tobacco Bride
by RayneXHatake
Summary: The year is 1630 and Allison F. Jones meets her match in Arthur Kirkland, the man who bought her hand in marriage for twenty bales of tobacco. They grow to tolerate each other, but, unfortunately for Allison, her husband's green eyes hide deep secrets from his past, secrets that could cost them their very lives. Colonial America AU! Pirate!


I sort of spammed this place, oops.

This story actually mirrors an original story of mine, except some of the roles are reversed.

It's a colonial America AU. America is genderbent in this one because that was the only way I could picture this working. Definitely rated M too.

Enjoy

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"Spread 'em, love."

When Allison Jones was just a little girl, not much taller than her father's knee, he would pick her up and toss her up high into the air. Those arms, strengthened by years of animal trapping, would propel her higher and higher until for just a few moments it seemed like she was flying. In those moments her six-year-old life was complete. No matter how high she went or how long she seemed to stay in the air, those same arms were right there to catch her as she came down. She'd never felt safer than those moments when her father pulled her back against his chest and chuckled warmly in her ear.

"Dammit, I said spread 'em."

But Allison wasn't six-years-old anymore. She was eighteen. Instead of being tossed into the air, she was being tossed onto an expensive bed. Her father's strong arms were no longer there to catch her as she came down. Now she was to rely on the tanned arms of her new _husband_.

"Fuckin' hardheaded girl, listen to me."

Her husband was nothing like she imagined him to be when she was a little girl and her mother first told her she'd have to marry one day. She imagined someone kind and gentle like her father. Someone she would fall in love with. Maybe one of the boys from the trading post that she'd played with as a child. Or maybe a young man from a family her parents knew.

"Goddammit!"

Of course it was obvious as her husband grabbed her arm and wrenched her towards him that he was nothing like she imagined. His name was Arthur Kirkland, a name practically unknown to her. He was from the home land, from England, not from her little post town. He was also obviously very wealthy if the various knickknacks and comforts around the room was any indication. Wealth, though, did nothing for Allison. She would have preferred her husband to be a debtor than to be as nasty as the man attempting, and failing, to spread her legs apart.

Suddenly, callused hands gripped her chin roughly, forcing her to look into his narrowed green eyes.

"Why are you being so damn difficult?"

Instead of answering, Allison snarled as she snatched her head away from his hands. The back of her head collided with the oak headboard with a sickening thud, but the throbbing underneath her skull was worth being away from him. The pain clouded her mind, but the action had startled her husband, leaving her with enough time to pull herself out from underneath him.

"Idiot." Arthur scoffed lightly, shaking his head as Allison pulled her legs up to her torso. He only smirked at her as she closed her eyes and gently massaged the growing bump on the back of her head. "You silly, little idiot."

Allison snapped her blue eyes open to glare at him, trying to ignore the blush growing across her cheeks as he smirked at her. He was handsome. She hated to admit it, but her husband was very handsome.

"I'm no idiot."

Arthur looked taken aback by her lack of a proper accent. Allison had always been rather proud of her lack of an accent. Others didn't agree. Some considered it unattractive and backwoods, which was mostly why the men of the Virginia Company ordered her to remain silent until after she was sold.

Mentally, Allison cursed the Virginia Company. If it wasn't for them she would still be on a ship on her way to visit her brother in New France. Granted, it wasn't entirely their fault. Her father, as great of a man as he was, was severely in debt with the company. In fact, the way they told it, he had stolen quite a bit of money from them and the company wanted their money.

Unfortunately for Allison, her parent's death put the debt on the shoulders of her and her brother, Matthew. When they found her boarding a boat to go to New France from one of the West Indies colonies, they'd kidnapped her and forcibly explained the situation. Either Allison would enter their bid or they would go to New France and take the money from Matthew.

Allison knew Matthew didn't have the money. All they would end up doing was capturing her brother and selling him into the slave trade. Allison couldn't let them touch her brother. So, she was forced to enter the wife bid they held for the British colonies in the New World. Being as pretty and young as she was, Allison was expected to go for the same amount as the debt. The company wasn't disappointed either after a bidding war erupted between Arthur Kirkland and the fur trapper Francis Bonnefoy.

In order for the colonies to survive, it was very important the men of the colonies reproduced and added to a population that dwindled with every winter. Life was hard in the colonies, especially for those who grew tobacco, but finding respectable wives was even harder. Since enticing whole families to come over was difficult, the Virginia Company had taken to bringing single women over and auctioning them off to available men.

The ploy worked like a charm. Her brother was safe, the debt was paid and several women were married off to reproduce for the good of the colony. Allison, though, was stuck with a husband she didn't want. A husband she was dead set against allowing to touch her.

Suddenly, Arthur growled loudly as he jerked forward and tried to capture her lips in a biting kiss. Allison flinched violently at the sound, which caused their heads to crash together with a thud. Arthur cursed as he clutched his head, only to curse even louder when Allison used her legs to unbalance him, causing him to crash to the floor. With a grin, Allison scrambled off the bed and stumbled over to the heavy door leading out of the bedroom.

"Fuck! Goddamn! Fuck! Stupid wench" Arthur looked up from the floor with a sneer on his lips, "Where do you think you're going?"

Allison snatched at the door handle, grunting as it refused to budge. "I'm going home."

Arthur stood, gently rubbing the red spot on his forehead as he grasped the wooden bedpost for support. "Home? You're going home, love?" The blonde girl tugged harder at the handle, not even bothering to answer the man. Arthur sighed to himself as he walked over and leaned against the wall to watch his bride fail to budge the door. "Need help?"

Allison ignored him and simply increased her efforts in opening the door. Tugging and pushing harshly until she finally sunk against it in exhaustion. With her hands still clasped around the handle, Allison sighed in defeat and rested her forehead against the cool wood.

"It's locked," she whispered into the quiet of the room.

"I'm aware."

"Why didn't you tell me it was locked?"

He cocked one of his eyebrows at her as he crouched down to her level and patted his pocket. "Would it have mattered? I locked it after you walked in, figured you'd be skittish. You're a stubborn lass, you would have thought I was lying anyway." Allison remained silent and only released her grip on the door handle. Arthur frowned before moving to sit against the door beside her. "Pet, I'm tired of fighting you."

"I'm tired of you fighting me too."

Arthur chuckled, "So feisty." Hesitantly, Arthur reached over and gently stroked Allison's hair. She didn't flinch away, only jumped slightly. "Now, come love, tell me why I've scared you so. Surely Mummy told you what happens between a man and his wife after the wedding?"

A part of Allison wanted to snarl and bite at the man beside her. To cause him pain in some kind of way, but she can't. She's tired of fighting him. She's tired of her situation. Her parents were both dead, her mother dying shortly after her eighth birthday and her father dead within the last two years. Her twin brother stuck in New France with no way of knowing she was married. Plus, Arthur thought she was scared of him, she, Allison F. Jones was scared of nothing. She also wasn't an idiot, she'd show him. She'd show him exactly why you never insulted her.

Instead of biting him or being overly mean, Allison simply looked over and smiled sadly, trying to play it sweet, "She's dead. Been dead since I was young."

"Oh," Arthur breathed out, "oh, lass, I'm sorry to hear that. It's not uncommon, though, especially over here." He stopped and took a deep breath, "Look, love, since your education is severely lacking, I'm going to show you what to do."

Allison frowned at his words. "I told you I'm not an idiot. I lived with animals, I know what mating is. I know how babies are made. I know what's expected of me, but I don't want to be a part of it."

"You have to be a part of it! I want sons!"

Snarling, Allison lunged forward to hit him. "I never wanted this!"

He stopped her by his hands encircling her wrists. "Wait," Arthur lowered his voice, almost as if he was trying to coax a frightened animal into his arms, "and hear me out." The blonde girl nodded to show him she was listening. "I can be good to you, so good. If you'll just give me a chance, I can show you that having me for a husband isn't all that terrible."

She regarded him with a suspicious eye, "How?"

"Come, I'll show you. Let's go to the bed, okay?"

Knowing that the key was in his pocket, she agreed, "Okay."

Arthur stood up, holding a hand out for Allison to take. Very hesitantly, she took it and allowed the man to pull her up. Once she was firmly on her feet, Arthur cautiously pulled her into his arms and wrapped his arms around her waist. "There now, see, I'm not so bad."

Allison squirmed within his grasp, but made no serious move to escape. "You're supposed to be showing me that you're not terrible."

He chuckled loudly in her ear, "Yes, I suppose that is true. Look around you, lass, look at the wealth in this room. High satin curtains, furniture, silver and gold ornaments. I'm wealthy. A wealthy man come to the colonies to make even more in the tobacco fields of Virginia."

She shrugged. Arthur couldn't believe that she simply shrugged off his wealth. "I really don't care for wealth."

Raising an eyebrow, Arthur scoffed, "You don't care for wealth? Surely you're thrilled to know that I have such possessions?"

Allison shrugged, "Obviously these possessions are all you have, or you'd have never come to the New World to seek fortune."

Green eyes blazed in anger as the girl before him cut down his accomplishments. She was right, he didn't possess a lot of monetary value, but he did possess a quick mind and determination. He'd gain his money as soon as the tobacco crops sold next harvest. "Don't speak of things you have no idea about."

Allison only squirmed more in his hold, digging her fingers into the pockets along his trouser leg. He grinned and gripped her harder, thinking she'd finally given up and realized her position. Suddenly, her knee came up and made contact with his groin, causing him to collapse to the floor. Grinning, Allison showed the key that she'd pulled from his pocket before skipping over to the door. Jamming the key in and pulling the door open, she gave her husband one more cheeky wink before disappearing down the hall.

Arthur fumed as he sat on the floor clutching his groin. It took a few more deep and calming breaths before he dragged himself off of the floor and tore after his bride.

* * *

Oh Allison, why so sneaky?


End file.
